


Training and Therapy

by VirusZeref



Series: Black Canary's Protege (Dinah's Chickadee) [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, Black Canary (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Violence, Developing Relationship, Dysfunctional Family, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Family Issues, Fluff, Implied Child Abuse, M/M, Other, Singing, Therapy, mentions of abuse, mentoring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-11 07:51:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11144088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VirusZeref/pseuds/VirusZeref
Summary: Damian is with Dinah but first, she needs to help calm the boy's mind.After all, Damian had to kill someone at the age of three.Or his mother would hurt him.





	Training and Therapy

**Author's Note:**

> So I made another part, and it's longer than the first. In addition, Talia did abuse Damian, i mean WHO teaches or forces a child to kill someone at the age of THREE. Anyways ENJOY!!!

**_Damian nodded, “Positive...now I think about it...being Robin….it wasn’t for me..”. She smiled and patted his head._ **

 

**_“Well my chickadee, let's get started then”._ **

 

**_Damian gave her a smirk, “I can’t wait to begin”_ **

 

Dinah watched Damian sleep for a while, for a bloodthirsty and malicious kid, he is almost adorable. She watched him turn on his side, and let out a quiet snore, Dinah reached to stroke his hair before stopping herself, she needed to do something first.

Plus the boy would possible flip if he woke to her doing that.

Dinah left the guest room closing the door behind her before sighing. Honestly, Bruce couldn’t have a more emotionally constipated kid than his own flesh and son. Well, like father like son, but unlike father, the son will have someone to who can get him out of his own mind.

After all, she helped Dick during his time in the Young Justice League, during the time of his and Wally’s fight, and after the ‘death’ of Wally…..

Gods above Dick was an emotional wreck during that time….and Damian...

Was much worse.

Now, a child that Bruce didn’t know existed has come on the scene. A child who has been abused and trained to kill...Dinah cracked her knuckles, before heading towards a Zeta Tube that was connected to her home. 

She and Bruce needed to talk.

A really good talk.

She needed to know more about Damian before she could help him in any way.

______________________________________________________

_ (A few minutes later….) _

The entrance of the Batcave wasn’t really prepared to hold against a Canary Cry. Bruce looked from the Batcomputer and winced slightly, with a voice nagging in the back of his mind that he is truly in for hell.

Alfred probably lets Dinah in, regardless of what he would say anyways. Alfred enjoyed when the blonde woman was around the Manor, (probably because she actually gets him to go and do things and patch things up).

Hell because of her, his and Jason’s relationship was significantly better than it was a few months back.

“Batsy”

“Dinah”

She rolled her eyes at his monotone response and stepped over the debris and splinters of what had been the door, dusting herself off.

“Was that really necessary? To use your Canary Cry at my door?”

“Yes. Yes, it was necessary. I wanted to test how strong it is” she responded, pulling up a chair facing him and sitting on it, legs crossed. 

“I heard your son Damian left”.

Bruce turned to look at her, his voice low, “I never told the Justice League I had a son”. The not yet part of the sentence went unspoken but it was there in his facial features.

“Of course I know that”

“....He is with you isn’t he?”

Dinah leaned back against her chair and nodded, “Yes he is. I left him alone back at my place and I need to get back to him soon”. She looked him straight in the eyes before speaking again,

“He didn’t tell you we met earlier, much earlier before he became Robin, didn’t he? I noticed him stalking me on that night, dressed in white and black. Ten years old Bruce, he is what now? Twelve years old. You told me and the League that you trained Dick when he was nine, but Damian...gods above he has been trained to kill at a lesser age”.

Bruce sighed, “Dinah I know this. His mother Talia al Ghul is part of the League of Assassins, you know Ra’s al Ghul? His grandfather”. He watched as the blonde woman in front of him hissed through her teeth, her hands balling into fists.

He continued anyways, “He told me at three years old...he was forced to kill his nursemaid. Talia punished him because the way he did. A knife embedded in his back for a week, he wasn’t allowed to remove”.

Bruce continued to speak about what Damian told him about his training and life with his mother. As he did, Dinah grew closer and closer to letting out a Canary Cry and destroying the Cave. How many people Damian had killed in 7 years didn’t matter to her, what mattered was his mental state. Obviously being abused for the sake of being “perfect” was a low, (which reminded her to find Talia Al Ghul and kick her high and mighty ass). 

“Have you gotten him any help? For his mental state”.

Well, shit.

“Damian is capable of handling himself, he handles himself and holds back his urges during battle and patrol-”

“Not what I asked Bruce. Did. You. Get. Him. Any. Help?”

Bruce frown, “No”.

Dinah facepalmed, “Bruce...Damian is not Dick who can bounce back from anything”. But not the death of his fiancee remained unspoken, they both know that the former Boy Wonder was still hung up over the death of Wally West. 

“He is not Jason, and he is certainly not Tim. Damian is himself, and he needs serious help. You told me that he was abused by his mother because he didn’t kill someone a certain way or just for fun, do you know what that can do for a child’s mental health?!”

“I know that Dinah-”

“Why haven’t you done anything?!” Dinah rose from her chair, pissed. “Bruce, Damian is slowly breaking. If you thought he was bad when he came to you, you haven’t seen anything yet”.

She became walking back towards the door, “I promised I would come for him if he needs me. Damian needs me Bruce, and I’m going to see to that he is going to get the help he needs. Then if he decides to..he will come back to you”.

She paused at the frame of the door, “By the way, tell Dick that his appointment with me will be next week Tuesday”.

Bruce nodded to her and turned around to the Batcomputer once more, silent. Then he spoke to her again but it was in a soft voice,

“Dinah..please...take care of my son”.

She smiled warmly, “I will Batsy”.

______________________________________________

Dinah made her way to her home, letting out a Canary Cry somewhere in an empty alleyway a while back. She was angry, and the more she thought about it, the more it killed her to know what Damian had been through. 

A mother abusing her child.

She couldn’t imagine her own mother doing that to her, the original Black Canary. Her mom was a badass woman, kind, selfless….

But what she heard about Talia? It made her skin crawl. Dinah wasn’t going to stand there and watch as Damian torn himself apart, she knew that he wanted to lead the life his father wanted him to lead (in order to gain approval in his Father’s eyes). 

Dinah opened the door to her house and stepped in, a light was coming from upstairs. Damian was awake at least, and she needed to talk to him.

“Damian!”

No answer.

She cursed and climbed the stairs, almost breaking into a run. Why didn't he answer? His door was wide open so she took a peek inside. The boy had earphones plugged into his ears, sketching away at an open sketchbook on his bed, completed and unfinished pieces were shattered across the room. Dinah looked at the closer one from her and bit her lip, trying not to curse. A drawing of Two-Face split in half with a butcher’s knife cutting between, imitations of blood were sketched everywhere on the paper. 

“I know you are there Dinah”. She snorted at the response and stepped in, grabbing the paper in the process. Damian was in casual clothing, his hair was tousled and wet (probably took a shower earlier).

“You’re not going to ask me where I went?”

Damian clicked his tongue and made a TT voice, “No need, Father never tells me where he is going”. 

Dinah frowned, “I’m not your father, speaking of which I went to go talk to him just now”. 

“What did he say? Or did he give you a lecture?” Damian muttered with clear sarcasm in his voice. 

“No, no Bruce knows better to lecture me. He tried with Wonder Woman you know? That didn’t end well with him”. Dinah sat on the edge of the bed looking at the child in front of her, holding out the drawing to him.

“Can you explain this to me?”

Damian snorted, “Obviously it’s a drawing of Two-Face. I thought you knew about him, or you’re clearly denser than you look”. Dinah gave him a tight smile and a quick glare,

“Frankly you let go of the stereotype that all blondes are dumb. I’m asking about the fact, he is split in half”. Damian didn’t answer her but instead looked away. 

“You want to do that to him don’t you?”

Again no answer.

She looked at the sketchbook open in his lap and peered at it. The Joker was laying on the ground with his iconic grin on his face.

Dead.

With a familiar katana embedded into his chest.

“He hurt Todd...and so many people”.

Dinah didn’t answer but she slowly began piecing together what was going on. Bruce had told Damian he couldn’t kill and Damian agreed but the urge, the strong urge to kill was still there. It was never gone in the first place, instead, the boy drew what he wanted to do villains alike. While it was an okay coping mechanism..it was turning into an unhealthy obsession. 

“Damian…”

“Don't. Do not be like my father”.

“Damian I’m not your father and I’m never going to be your father. Bruce has his own traumas and trials but you? You’re a twelve-year-old boy, anything that your mother forced you to do wasn't your fault-”

“At first it wasn’t a choice Dinah, then I started to enjoy it, the feeling of your enemy’s blood dripping down your fingers. The feeling of their bones cracking against your hands with just the slightly touches” Damian had a wild look in his eyes as he spoke and continued to speak.

“I heard my father’s voice in my head, I hear him telling me not to kill. I hear my mother telling me what will happen to me if I don’t, I hear my grandfather’s voice. Everyone is in my head….and I can’t get them out…”

Dinah didn’t stop herself from reaching over to him and pulling Damian into her arms. She held him like that, his head buried in the crook between her shoulder and neck. She heard Damian go stiff in her arms before his arms wrapped around her waist. 

“My mother...never done this with me before.”

Dinah hummed and ran her hands through his hair, “I’m not your mother because I fucking care about you and your wellbeing. You going to be with me for a while, Bruce doesn’t have a fucking choice about it”.

Damian slowly nuzzled her neck, “I….I don’t mind”.

“Good” she smiled, standing up with Damian gathered in her arms, “Let's make breakfast shall we?”

______________________________________________

Days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. Dinah mentored Damian and helped him through the mess inside his mind. It wasn’t easy, the first few days Damian lashed out at her, and crumbled with tears in his eyes.

He got better.

Damian started talking with her about his traumas, the things he has done during his time with the League. Hell, he even mentioned part of the Year of Blood, something his father doesn’t know and the boy planned to keep it that way.

But he told Dinah (there was damage...to the furniture. Dinah had let out too many Canary Cries in her rage).

She helped him. Through different things, meditation, breathing exercises, etc. Dinah made it easier to be himself to be less likely to hold his emotions in. She helped him in every way, regardless if he wanted her to or not.

And Damian greatly appreciated it.

“Dinah?”

“Hm?” the blonde was busy watering the many plants that were strung around the living room and other places in her house.

“I was wondering...tt, can I be your partner?”

“Partner? Explain” she paused what she was doing and leaned against the counter. Damian clicked his tongue with had a smile on his face.

<I want to be your partner Black Canary. As your sidekick if you want to put it into proper terms>, he said slipping back into his mother tongue, Arabic.

<Oh, that explains why you were going through my closet the other day> Dinah responded to him. Damian recently learned she was fluent in Arabic, so they have been going back and forth speaking to each other.

_ <So?> _

_ <I accept your offer. You will be my partner, but first>. There was a sly glint in her eyes. _

_ <Training> _

_ ___________________________________________________ _

And by training Dinah meant training. Luckily he could keep up with his assassin’s training he received. But it wasn’t just physical training, it was vocal chords training too. She made him sing silly phrases aloud (normally he would kill someone if they caught him doing this) but he did it.

“Ready?”

Damian frowned and looked at the lyrics once more, Dinah planned for him to test his vocal chord skills based on if he can switch from low to high pitches, in addition to seeing what was his vocal range. 

“I’m ready”.

He sucked in a breath just as the opening of the song had begun to play from Dinah’s speaker. It was simple enough, just sing the words to it, like how he practiced alone in his room.

He could do this.

_ In a grave of roses, while the night is closing in _

_ My soul is so cold, but I want to live again _

_ I know you'll come to me, I wait in misery _

_ I want to fight for this, save me from this darkness _

_ I reach for the light _

The first part of the chords was quiet, almost muttered out, but he was still on point and his range didn’t waver or move to a high range. Dinah sat back watching him, the slowly swelling feeling of pride ran across her being.

_ I want to live my life _

_ The choice is mine, I've made up my mind _

_ Now, I'm free to start again _

_ The way I want to live (to live) and breathe (and breathe) _

_ The way I want that's right for me _

_ I may know nothing else _

_ But I know this, I want to live _

_ All I ever needed was a reason to believe _

_ You help me hold on, you ignite the fire in me _

_ You always come for me, you know just what I need _

_ Don't make me wait for this, save me from this darkness _

_ I reach for the light _

_ I want to live my life _

_ The choice is mine, I've made up my mind _

_ Now, I'm free to start again _

_ The way I want to live (to live) and breathe (and breathe) _

_ The way I want that's right for me _

_ I may know nothing else _

_ But I know this, I want to live _

_ I'm breathing, still breathing _

_ But I can't fight this fear alone _

_ This feeling is killing slow _

_ But now I know _

_ I want to live my life _

_ The choice is mine, I've made up my mind _

_ Now, I'm free to start again _

_ The way I want to live (to live) and breathe (and breathe) _

_ The way I want that's right for me _

_ I may know nothing else _

_ But I know this, I want to live _

_ I want to live _

_ I know this, I want to live _

The song ended, and Damian let out a breath, turning to Dinah almost pleased with himself. 

_ <So how did I do?> _

He watched her press her lips together into a thinking expression, <You wavered in the beginning of the song and there were slight jumps in octaves, but other than that. You did amazing Damian, how is it that your Father never had you to sing before, you’re fucking amazing>.

Damian’s heart swelled at the praise, <He doesn’t know I can sing, my Mother…sent for the best musicians and singers in the world to teach me, it’s the only thing I appreciate her doing for me>.

Dinah nodded her head, understanding. Damian doesn’t talk much about his Mother (he had a lot to say about Ra’s al Ghul however). 

_ <Anyways, now that you finished your training with me, there is something we need to do>.  _

_ <And that it?> _

_ <Shopping~> _

_______________________________________________

Damian recalls that his mother never went shopping, all the shopping was done by the many female servants the League had on hand. Plus she said going shopping was a waste of her time when she could be plotting out the deaths of the major world leaders.

He now understands why.

Shopping is….long, hard and overall.

_ Fucking exhausting.  _

They had spent at least three whole hours in one area of the mall and Damian was itching to scream or throw something.

“TT. Dinah, you said that we would be here only for a little while, three hours isn’t a fucking little while”.

Dinah grinned at him, “Language”.

Damian clicked his tongue and stared at the pile of clothing in the cart, “What are these?”

“Your new wardrobe. It would be weird to see Robin with Black Canary wouldn’t it?”

Damian raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, “So I will be wearing a leotard?”. Dinah looked at him and giggled, waving her hand dismissively.

“Good lord no. I’m not going to dress you in scaly pants like the two former Robins”. She rummaged among the selection of clothing before going to another section. Damian ‘tt’ again before he himself started straying away searching for something. If he was going to wear something similar to her outfit, he could at least wear something modest. 

Dinah’s Black Canary uniform (if you can call it that) was leather booty shorts, combat boots, fishnet stocking, a blue corset and a leather jacket. 

Simple enough.

Damian found the exact things, and accessories to match. 

“Found anything”.

“TT. Of course, I did, what did you take me for?”, Damian set out the clothing on a table. Dinah peered over his shoulder and a grin sat on her face.

“Interesting choice”.

“TT. Let buy these and go-”.

Fuck.

Damian tilted his head, his eyes widen. Three, no four familiar faces were heading in their direction. Dinah looked confused at his expression and turned her head.

_ <Do you want to say hi?> _

_ <....I don’t know...I haven’t seen Grayson in months…> _

_ <Go, I will pay for the stuff> _

Damian nodded, letting Dinah ruffle his hair before leaving him by himself. With a burst of courage, he marched over to them and coughed harshly.

“Grayson, Todd, Drake….Cassandra”.

The four turned and stared at him with shock before Dick squealed and threw his arms around him.

“Little D!”

“TT, Grayson..nice to see you again”. The other three were still staring at him like he was back from the dead. 

“Grayson”.

“Yes?”

“...Can you let me go?”

Dick did so but that didn’t stop him from pressing a kiss to his forehead, “Sorry but it’s been awhile since I saw you!”

Damian snorted at Dick over gleefulness, at the corner of his eye, he noticed Tim staring at him with a frown on his face.

“May I help you, Drake?” 

“Bruce is worried about you”

Damian’s eyes narrowed, “TT. Funny since you’re the one who wanted to send me away. Me giving up Robin wasn’t enough for you was it, Drake?”. He couldn’t help be smirking as Tim physically flinched at his statement.

“Wait...Demon Brat..you quit being Robin?”

“Of course Todd. Tim wanted to be Robin again, and I gave him what he wanted”.

Dick frowned, “Tim I will talk to you later”.

“Look, Damian, I didn’t-”

“What did you mean then? That I wasn’t important or good enough for your liking? Or the fact that I am and always will be better than you” Damian snapped, interrupted Tim. 

“You want to know the reason I gave you back the title? Because I couldn’t be myself, I had to live up to your standards. I don’t have to do that anymore”.

He turned to Dick, Jason, and Cass, “It was nice seeing you three again”. No one expected him to latch onto all three’s waist in the form of a hug. Dick smiled warmingly and kissed his head.

<Be careful Dami>

Damian removed himself, a mischievous glint was seen in his jade green eyes, “Of course الاخ الاكبر”.

The four watched him go, running toward Dinah. Dick felt a swell of pride in his heart, Damian was learning. Though he was still upset that Damian still didn’t want to go back to the manor….

“So replacement” Jason drawled out. “Explain what the fuck just happened”. The second Robin’s voice was calm and that wasn’t a good thing.

But it was a wonderful thing Cass was with them.

Or there would have been bloodshed.

And an explanation to Bruce.

Good lord.

_______________________________________________

It was a normal Tuesday night in Gotham. Villains were running wild across the area and the familiar Bat symbol was high in the sky. Except, at the Dark Knight's side wasn’t Damian but instead Red Robin.

“Penguin has been seen near the harbor”

“I’m on it B”.

Bruce grunted into his comms, his dark figure almost suffocating the air around him. He had been broader than usual, ever since Damian left the Manor. And they haven’t heard a word from Dinah about Damian’s wellbeing.

“Red Hood here. Replacement, B you need to see this. Get Big Blue’s ass over here too”.

“What is your location”.

“On the streets, to the left of you. And hurry up”.

Tim looked at Bruce who only set his grapple hook, headed towards Jason’s location. He sighed before doing the same. Things had been...tense around the Manor, more or less around him and Bruce.

Tim wasn’t sure if Bruce blames him for the reason Damian quit being Robin, but Jason hell sure does.

(Unless Jason referring him as Replacement again doesn’t count”.

Bruce landed on the street, with Tim landing next to him, “Talk. What am I supposed to be looking at?”

“Batsy”

Black Canary in all her power and glory.

“Black Canary..”.

Dinah nodded and waved at Jason and Tim, “Hello”. 

She seemed too cheerful.

“Where is Damian-”

A loud cry was heard as Poison Ivy was sent flying into a car. The redhead woman shrugged herself and growled.

“You little brat!”.

Little brat?

A chuckle was heard, “Poison Ivy...listen to this. This is what it sounds like...when your ears are bleeding”.

**SKREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE**

Poison Ivy wailed in agony before something small hurled itself at her. She fell hard on the ground with the person’s foot on her unconscious body. The person had a hood covering their head but Bruce could see their smirk.

“Good job”.

“TT”

Bruce took a step back, and Tim dropped his staff, Jason let out a loud laugh. Dick finally came to the scene and he broke into a wide grin.

Dinah gestured to the person, “Batsy I think you know who this is”.

The person, now everyone saw was a kid stood up and turned. Dressed in fishnet stockings, leather black shorts (almost to the point they were like the scaly pants Dick and Jason), a red and black corset with a see-through black shirt underneath, and high knee combat boots. The kid removed his hood, familiar green eyes staring at them.

“Hello, Batman. Robin”.

Bruce sucked a breath, “D-Damian”.

Damian smirked, “Hello Father”.

**_“My name is Siren”_ **

**Author's Note:**

> الاخ الاكب = Big Brother   
> Song: I want to Live by Skillet
> 
> So that was the second part! Hope you enjoyed and if you wanna gimme prompts based on this AU tell me in the comments below!!


End file.
